The Healthy Skin Diet: Eat Your Way To Clear Skin

If you are trying to have really healthy skin - at a cellular level - then you must pay close attention to your lifestyle. This goes beyond maintaining a skincare regimen and getting regular exercise. What you eat and drink also play a huge role in your skin’s health. Read on to learn more about the most skin-loving food and beverages that you can indulge in for a smoother, healthier complexion.

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The Best Foods For Healthier Skin

Berries, Berries, And Berries!

To be specific, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and plums are great for your skin because they are rich in antioxidants. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ranks these four on the top of the list of fruits with “total antioxidant capacity”.

Antioxidants and phytochemicals found in blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and plums protect the cell, reducing the possibility of damage that comes from free radicals.

Other vegetables and fruits that have high levels of antioxidants include prunes, pecans, artichokes, black beans, red beans, and pinto beans.

Essential Fatty Acid Sources

What do you think of when you hear salmon, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed together in a sentence? Probably nothing, right? The truth is, this unseeming bunch of foods have one thing in common: they are a great source of essential fatty acids, which are optimal for having healthy skin.

These essential fatty acids protect cell membranes by acting as barriers against harmful substances. They also help in the efficient passing through of nutrients into the cell, and waste products out of the cell. The cell membrane holds water in, which means that having a strong barrier also ensures the hydration of the cells. This will translate to younger, plumper skin.

Selenium-Rich Snacks

Get rid of your junk food and overly caffeinated and sugar-rich beverages. Replace them with snacks rich in selenium, such as cereals, whole wheat bread and muffins, tuna, turkey, and brazil nuts!

Why is selenium important? This mineral plays a vital role in skin cell integrity. There are studies that report having high selenium levels in the skin can soften the blow of sun damage.

Another advantage of whole wheat food (cereals, baked goods, bread) is their ability to take up more room and make you feel fuller. This gives you less room for unhealthy “white food” AKA refined food (white flour bread, pasta, cake, white rice, and sugar), which is not good for your skin -- or for your health in general. High glucose and low insulin levels can contribute to having acne breakouts, among other skin problems.

Healthy Hydration

Staying hydrated is one of the most basic needs that humans require for survival. If you want to have vibrant and beautiful skin, you should not take this need for granted.

However, not all beverages are created equal. Some drinks can do more damage than good, such as carbonated drinks, sugary sports drinks, and alcoholic beverages. Not only are these filled with artificial additives and chemicals to create a longer shelf life and to add to their taste profile, they are also dangerous to health.

Sugary drinks can spike glucose levels up and inhibit normal insulin functioning, causing many health risks, including slow wound healing, dryness of the skin, and even acne breakouts. Alcoholic drinks have been found to “dehydrate” and shrink cells, removing moisture off the skin cells from within, which can lead to a dull, dry, and unhealthy appearance of the skin.

The two best beverages for skin health are good, old-fashioned water and green tea.

Hydration that comes from clean and pure water is the best type of hydration. The rule of thumb is to drink at least eight glasses of water every day. If you are engaging in rigorous physical activities or residing in areas which are predominantly humid and hot, then drinking more than 8 glasses is recommended.

Hard water can be good for you because it is rich in minerals that carry their own benefits for health. Water is essential in helping cells transport nutrients into the cell membrane and carry toxic wastes out of the body.

Green tea is another healthy beverage option. It has so many health benefits for the entire body, including the skin. Its richness in antioxidants is on top of the list, helping the body get rid of the bad stuff and leave the skin looking healthy and happy. Green tea is also teeming with anti-inflammatory properties that provide protection to the cell membrane.

Which were your favorites mentioned in this article? Please leave a comment about your favorite skin-friendly food and drinks below!

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